It has heretofore been proposed to make an article wrapping machine in which articles are deposited on a strip of wrapping material at a loading station, the strip enfolded into a tube and longitudinally sealed as the strip is advanced, and the enfolded tube thereafter transversely sealed between the articles in the tube and severed to form separate packages. U.S. Pat. No. 2,918,769 discloses a wrapping machine of this type having a reciprocating jaw mechanism for transversely sealing and severing the enfolded tubes between the articles. Such machines were not entirely satisfactory since it was difficult to hold the articles in proper position within the enfolded tube during the return stroke of the jaws. In addition, some problems were presented in supporting the enfolded wrapper during and after transverse sealing and severing of the wrapper.
It has also been proposed as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,045,405 to make an article wrapping machine in which endless type upper and lower jaw conveyors were operative to grip the enfolded tube between the articles and to advance the tube a distance corresponding to the pitch distance of the jaws on the upper and lower conveyors. That wrapping machine, however, could only form packages having a length corresponding to the pitch distance of the clamping jaws on the upper and lower jaw conveyors, and the machine could not be adjusted to forming packages of different lengths.